﻿﻿﻿﻿Phil Ranstrom has over 30 years of experience producing documentary films. His very first documentary out of college, THE COCAINE EXPRESS, was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Best Investigative Report", and he has continued to create original, groundbreaking work, ever since.

His latest documentary, CHEAT YOU FAIR: THE STORY OF MAXWELL STREET, details the rise and fall of Chicago's Maxwell Street market which, for over 100 years, served as "the Ellis Island of the midwest", a melting pot of all ethnic groups, brought together in their common struggle against poverty and prejudice. It was also "the New Orleans of the north", the home of the electric, urban blues, which launched an international musical revolution. Narrated by actor, Joe Mantegna, this three-act feature film is the only work that chronicles the complete history of Maxwell Street, it's contribution to the world of music, and the political and economic forces that destroyed it. CHEAT YOU FAIR was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Best ﻿Writing﻿ - Non-News" and won the Emmy for "Best Original Composition/ Arrangement". Chicago Tribune writer and radio host, Rick Kogan, called the film "one of the most remarkable pieces of work I've ever seen. "

Phil's upcoming documentary, PIEROGI BLUES, continues the exploration of the blues and its impact on the world of music, politics and culture. It will be released during fall of 2014.